The sound of gunpowder exploding echoed throughout the city, and the flames and flashes illuminated the night as if it were daytime.

In front of the headquarters of the Twilight Knights, corpses lay scattered everywhere. Most of them were soldiers of the Knights, while a small number of the dead were the attackers.

More than thirty surviving knights hid behind the main gate of the headquarters, blocking the entrance with tables and chairs, setting up a temporary roadblock.

Ennis, the deputy captain of the Third Heavy Infantry Regiment of the Twilight Knights and the temporary commander of this group of survivors, is a man who looks young but has participated in dozens of battles large and small in Twilight City. He is a true veteran commander.

"Hold the gate!"

Ennis, dressed in makeshift armor, knelt behind a barricade of tables and chairs, wiping the blood from his face. He looked at the throngs of enemy soldiers in the darkness outside the door and roared behind him, "Where are the reinforcements?! Where are the damned reinforcements?!"

A soldier covered in dust, wearing only a thin shirt and holding a shield he had stolen from the enemy, cried out in anguish, "The armory, the gate, and the stables have all been captured by the enemy. We have no weapons or armor, and many of our brothers were killed before they even left the camp!"

Enraged, Ennis roared, "Traitors! A bunch of traitors! This must have been a premeditated betrayal!"

Before he finished speaking, a burst of dense gunfire erupted from the dark enemy ranks.

Each lead bullet, carrying immense kinetic energy, pierced through the poorly defended tables, chairs, and wooden planks, sweeping away the remaining soldiers behind the roadblock.

As blood splattered everywhere, screams echoed among the soldiers.

Seeing his men die one after another, Ennis's eyes were bloodshot. He clenched his fists and struggled to rush forward.

A sharp pain suddenly came from his back.

Ennis gasped, stumbled and fell to the ground, a sharp dagger deeply embedded in his back, blood slowly trickling down his spine onto the earth.

With his last bit of strength, Ennis turned around and saw a familiar, panicked face in his line of sight.

"I'm...sorry, sir, I have a family to support..."

Ennis fell to the ground, and all the sounds faded into the distance. He slowly closed his eyes and uttered his last words with resentment.

"A bunch of... bastards..."

Standing atop the clock tower of Twilight City, Dawson family patriarch Rutledge looked out over the city through binoculars.

The citizens of the city were terrified by the sudden battle and were at a loss. The once bustling market, busy port, and cheerful commercial street were suddenly thrown into chaos. People cried and screamed as they ran back to their homes, locked their doors, and left only a crack in the window to peek outside.

Just as Rutledge was observing the situation in the city, a panting noble messenger climbed up the tower, walked behind Rutledge, and whispered, "Lord Dawson, the city's security forces and the Twilight Knights' camps have basically finished fighting."

"How is the situation?"

"As for the security team, before the battle began, we bribed all the officers on duty tonight, and under the pretext of a banquet, we took control of the head and deputy head of the security team in advance. Therefore, the entire occupation process went relatively smoothly."

"As for the Twilight Knights' camp, it took quite a bit of effort. The knights' sentries were disciplined and well-trained, and our inside man spent a great deal of time securing the camp gates. The armory, however, was a major problem, with three checkpoints at its entrance. Even after trying many methods, we couldn't bribe the officer at the final checkpoint, so we had to resort to a direct assault..."

Rutledge put away his binoculars, stared at the person behind him, and said coldly, "Fool! There is no one in this world who cannot be bought with money. If there is, it just means that the price you offered was not high enough!"

The messenger quickly lowered his head and repeatedly agreed.

"If you had been more reliable, this wouldn't have happened! The whole city knows about our operation now, and those cabinet members must have already started preparing to flee!"

Still seething with anger, Rutledge shook his head and said, "And what about the Kingdom's Navy and the Knights of the North Island? How are those two military camps?"

The messenger swallowed hard: "We have already taken control of the boardwalk and barracks of the Kingdom's navy. There is currently fierce boarding action on the warships in the port. I believe it will not be long before we can control all the ships."

"Things aren't going so well with the North Island Knights..."

Rutledge's eyes widened: "What do you mean by 'not going well'?"

"Aside from those returning home and those who came with the ship, the Northern Island Knights only had about two hundred men left in the entire camp. At first, we thought these barbarians who only knew how to drink and fight were completely incompetent, so we didn't send many men. But..."

The messenger's eyes flashed with fear as he spoke: "Those North Island pirates are monsters. They don't wear armor, they don't fall even when hit by arrows, and they kill people as easily as drinking water or eating... Especially their vice-captain, that giant named Little Jerry, he can easily shatter the strongest shields with that axe the size of a wheel..."

"Shut up!"

As the messenger's words became increasingly absurd, Rutledge angrily stopped him: "I don't care what methods you use, whether it's bribery or a direct assault, you must take down the North Island Knights' camp!"

Watching the messenger flee in panic, Rutledge slammed his fist against the wall in front of him and roared, "A bunch of useless trash!"

"Young Master."

The old butler of the Dawson family appeared behind Rutledge and reminded him, "The mercenary groups and pirate crews we hired are approaching Twilight City, and they need our help."

Rutledge took a deep breath: "Tell those stupid Silver Ring nobles to do what they've been assigned: block the roads and set up roadblocks. Order the scouts in the port area and the outposts outside the city to light their signal lights and guide the pirates and mercenaries into the city!"

At this point, Rutledge paused for a moment, then added, "Whether they are pirates or mercenaries, we must send troops to supervise them and make sure they keep their hands and feet clean, ensuring they don't touch this city!"

The old butler nodded, made a chop gesture towards Rutledge, and whispered, "Should we deal with Minister of the Interior of Baians and that King Guy VII of the Silver Ring Kingdom now?"

Rutledge thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "It's not the right time yet. To control Twilight City, I still need the help of those Silver Ring nobles."

The old butler nodded in agreement and then left the tower.

Turning his head to look at the firelight in Twilight City, Rutledge gripped the railing in front of him, his face unusually calm. A smile played on his lips as he whispered, "Come on, let the flames and fear burn even brighter... After tonight, this city will no longer belong to the Holy King!"